Mouawad Mondera Diamonds and Victoria's Secret Bras - Australian Antiques & Appraisals Magazine

Victoria's Secret Bras by Mouawad

When supermodels Karolina Kurkova and Heidi Klum strutted down runways in them, they were dubbed some of the world's most luxurious and expensive lingerie. Two of the Victoria’s Secret Fantasy bras designed by Mouawad – studded with a total of more than 2,500 carats of diamonds, sapphires, and other gemstones – caused quite a stir when they were unveiled at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

A replica of the "Very Sexy Fantasy Bra" is also on view at the Institute.

Now, anyone who visits GIA’s world headquarters and Robert Mouawad Campus in Carlsbad can see firsthand replicas of those one-of-a-kind bras, each originally valued at more than $10 million. Mouawad handcrafted the replicas of these world-famous jeweled creations and donated them to the GIA Collection.

The "Star of Victoria Fantasy Bra" replica is now on display at GIA.		Labeled “Star of Victoria” and “Very Sexy,” the bras, which each took more than 370 hours to create, were part of the Fantasy series created by Mouawad to highlight the Victoria’s Secret 2002 and 2003 holiday campaigns.
The multi-million-dollar lingerie featured the 60-ct. pear-shaped Mouawad Mondera diamond (on the “Star of Victoria”) and the 70-ct. Mouawad Excelsior diamond (on the “Very Sexy”), both of which have been duplicated in the center of the replica bras. The bras are Mouawad’s first in-kind gifts to the Institute and promise to be hugely popular with the public. Sterling silver, cubic zirconias, and synthetic colored gems represent the white gold, and 2, 200 diamonds, sapphires, amethysts, and rhodolites of the original “Very Sexy” bra. The “Star of Victoria” reproduction is composed of sterling silver, cubic zirconias, and synthetic colored gemstones, and features a rose and leaf motif. The original contains 320 carats of gems. “As the GIA Collection and Museum grow, gifts such as these illustrate our efforts to engage the public, not only with gems and jewelry, but with unusual one-of-a-kind jeweled objects,” said GIA’s In-Kind Gifts Manager Patricia Syvrud. “As our most significant donors, the Mouawads continue to demonstrate unparalleled support for the Institute.” GIA’s Robert Mouawad Campus in Carlsbad was named in honor of the firm’s generous $6.9 million donation in 1996.